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Dael Fry

The focus at the back has all been on the will he, won’t he status of Ben Gibson and the possible reinforcement of the rearguard whether or not the Teesside totem stays.

That has meant the emergence of Dael Fry has gone under the radar.

The Berwick Hills battler may have expected to be on the fringes this term with talk of signings and the return of Dani Ayala to the fold but an injury to the Spaniard opened the door for Fry and he has seized the moment.

He seems to have grown a foot and put on a stone while away on loan and is an imposing physical presence well able to handle the rigours of the Championship.

But he has been comfortable on the ball too, calm under pressure and more than happy to pass it out from the back and he is staking a claim for a first team place.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

It is a precarious project at Wolves. With big cash on tap from the Chinese owners and super agent Jorge Mendes advising on signings from Portugal - undoubted quality but untested in England - there was a feeling it could be a staggering success or go spectacularly wrong.

The early signs are very positive. Wolves have got off to a flying start and although they just edged out Boro on the opening day they have played with a swagger in beating Derby away and then scored some quality goals in a 3-2 win at Hull.

It is early days but three wins out of three with a team that are still just bedding in has given Wolves confidence and momentum and after year of falling short they now have the air of genuine contenders.

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Three down

Steve Bruce

Three games in and the Villa boss is already feeling the heat and reeling out the familiar phrases of an embattled manager deep in trouble.

Villa are in the drop zone and have taken just one point from the first three. It is early days but Doctor Tony hasn’t invested heavily for a slow burner or work in progress. And the fans - already unhappy at last season’s bottom third grind - are point the finger at a man who is now ominously being branded “the former Birmingham City boss” as knives are sharpened.

Steve Bruce watches on as Villa lost at Reading

And he has started to go down a well worn path in his press conferences:

“I’m the right man... my record speaks for itself... I understand the booing... hopefully I’ll get the time but that is not for me to answer...”

John Terry, player-boss by October?

Adam Forshaw

This time last season the energetic Scouse schemer was arguably Boro’s brightest performer. Having come in from the Championship fringes he had taken his chance in the top flight and was playing with zest and mobility. His slotted reverse pass to set up the second at Sunderland was sublime.

Now, a year later, far from cementing a place he looks like he could be the one who is squeezed out of the midfield mix.

Adam Clayton has nailed down the deeper ‘quarterback’ role and Jonny Howson is gradually finding his feet in one of the central midfield berths while Lewis Baker is slowly being blooded from the bench in the other.

Baker came on for the last half-hour in Forshaw’s place and you suspect that is sign of things to come.

Middlesbrough's Adam Forshaw against Burton

Burton

Poor Burton. When you are down you never get the breaks. They are have suffered red cards in two successive punishing away defeats to the big boys. And their record signing is crocked and out for the season.

Nigel Clough’s plucky outfit looked well drilled and laboured away manfully but they never really carried a threat up front and their back line was punctured repeatedly. Had Boro been more clinically they may have leaked the four they did at Hull.

Rock bottom and pointless, the Brewers already have the feel about them of being this season’s Rotherham.

Their short Football League story has been a bright one of progress and you hope they can find a way to organise and fight for survival but it looks like a it could be a long hard season for them.